"Usable" curriculum like RSO, History Pockets, etc

[SereneHome]

I just got my RSO book for next year and it's 100%  "usable", so if I let my kid write, draw, etc.  I won't be able to use it with the next two.  It wasn't a cheap book, so I am kind of wondering how is everyone else handling things like that.

 

I know people make copies - do you do that at home and if so, can you share your expense involved in that  -did you buy copy machine, how much do you spend for toners, paper, etc

 

Do you just buy new "books" for each child?

 

I am sitting here, looking at a really cool Even-Moor book that I would love to use next year that I got on sale 4.99, but regular price is 13.99 and I am starting to get a little worried about how expensive everything is going to be.

 

So, I would love to hear suggestions and experiences from everyone.

 

Thanks!!
 

[An Unexpected Party]

I photocopy the pages that will be written on. I also photocopy (or print out) any page on which I might want to annotate while prepping for the lesson. 

 

I have an ink jet printer. When I had a better printer with multiple cartridges to swap out, it was much better. (There were two blacks, one for printing and one for photos, for instance.)  The free printer I got when that one died only has two cartridges, color and black, and it sucks down ink like you wouldn't believe. I believe it would be far better for us to find a black and white laser printer for me to print the bulk of my materials on.  If I know I have a lot of printing I'll try to head to Staples, but it's a pain.

 

Anything I print that I might use again, either for another unit, all year long, or for the next kid coming through the pipeline, I will print onto cardstock if I can, and I have a filing system to keep those things good. (I use a lot of stuff from readingA-Z.com, so this was pretty necessary to avoid jacking the usage cost up for us on that one.)

 

Both printers I've had since homeschooling have been all-in-one printers. I originally bought the first one to be good for scrapbooking, so it shot out much higher quality photos. I don't print photos on this current one, which was the kind you get free with a new computer from Best Buy. They both have/had copy/scan/print functions. I use all three functions for homeschooling. 

 

Paper can be had very cheaply if you continually use the Staples coupons for a free ream of paper after rebate :)

 

ETA:  My kids write in their own consumable workbooks. (The phonics book, HWT book, the Singapore workbook.)  I don't consider most of the other types of books I use, like RSO, to be consumable. 

[scbusf]

It depends on the book.  For Explode the Code, I just let the kids write in them since they are fairly cheap to buy again.

 

For more expensive books like our SOTW Activity Guide, I make copies.  I also make copies if I'm not sure we're going to like something and I might want to resell it soon.

 

I have an all-in-one printer that makes copies and I just use that for the most part.

[Gentlemommy]

We do a lot of work orally. So for our Evan Moore science and geography books, I sit with her, she reads the passage aloud to me, and we answer the questions together. We do a week at a time, and it only takes us 5-10 minutes. For other things, I just have her write her answers in a notebook. I buy a bunch at the beginning of the school year when they are $.10, so extremely cheap! I do prefer to buy things as PDF or ebooks, so I can read on the iPad and only print copies of the pages I need. However, things like the SOTW activity book I buy used, so no PDF files there. The three I bought are like new, no pages written in, and I paid less than $10. We answer the questions orally, and if I want to do an activity I copy the student page, or even just trace it.

[Zuzu822]

We do a lot of work orally. So for our Evan Moore science and geography books, I sit with her, she reads the passage aloud to me, and we answer the questions together. We do a week at a time, and it only takes us 5-10 minutes. For other things, I just have her write her answers in a notebook. I buy a bunch at the beginning of the school year when they are $.10, so extremely cheap! I do prefer to buy things as PDF or ebooks, so I can read on the iPad and only print copies of the pages I need. However, things like the SOTW activity book I buy used, so no PDF files there. The three I bought are like new, no pages written in, and I paid less than $10. We answer the questions orally, and if I want to do an activity I copy the student page, or even just trace it.

 

This is me. I bought History Pockets, SOTW Activity Guide, WWE, etc. all as PDFs. Evan-Moor offers most (maybe even all) of its titles as e-books, so maybe that is a good option for you, especially if you can easily print the pages you need. I have a laser printer, and It's helped me quite a bit. 

[SereneHome]

Thanks for the ideas.  For some stupid reason I haven't considered ebooks.

 

I'll have to see how much ink is for my printer, right now I hardly ever use it, so haven't bought that in awhile.

 

I really like RSO but might be going with Mr Q later just bc it seems more reasonable in price and I like him a lot too.

 

I think I spend too much money on things we didn't use and feeling really guilty about it and trying to figure out how to do better and reduce cost in general.

 

 

[FO4UR]

I'm minimal in what consumables we use.  There are some things that are worth it (math & spelling workbooks).  Most things are just not worth the expense of it all, especially for young children.  I get more bang out of a buck (and my time!!!) doing most things in a CM manner.  That means utilizing living books (non-consumable) and oral narrations (paperless), copywork (plain paper & pencil), and then letting them craft in their free time instead of as a school activity.

 

If you want to collect consumables for 3 kids, I highly recommend buying ebooks and a duplexing laser printer.

 

Always count your time (making copies, hole-punching, etc...) when you count the cost of a workbook.

[SereneHome]

I'm minimal in what consumables we use.  There are some things that are worth it (math & spelling workbooks).  Most things are just not worth the expense of it all, especially for young children.  I get more bang out of a buck (and my time!!!) doing most things in a CM manner.  That means utilizing living books (non-consumable) and oral narrations (paperless), copywork (plain paper & pencil), and then letting them craft in their free time instead of as a school activity.

 

If you want to collect consumables for 3 kids, I highly recommend buying ebooks and a duplexing laser printer.

 

Always count your time (making copies, hole-punching, etc...) when you count the cost of a workbook.

 

Yeah, I think I am re-thinking my approach LOL.  It's just I was looking at RSO book and couldn't believe how much I spent on something that I won't be able to reuse it unless I spend money on it via copying it.

 

[mommymonster]

For History Pockets, I photocopy them. You really have to, as pages are printed on both sides, and they are meant to be cut out in different configurations. The copyright notice permits photocopying for classrooms. I do the same for the SOTW Activity Guide.

 

For cheap things like ETC, HWOT, I just have them write in the book...

[SereneHome]

We are doing ETC on line, which I think in total will be cheaper.

 

Yeah, HWOT is not even a question - they will each get their own.   Although, I do regret buying Teacher's Guides.  Now I have to sell it.

 

OK, I need to start looking for Staples coupons and start stocking up on paper and ink  :laugh:

[SereneHome]

Speaking of paper - there is a coupon for free paper in Staples that expires tomorrow!!!!

[FloridaLisa]

For consumables, I either:

 

• cut off the binder and allow the child to write on the actual pages (ETC for example)
• photocopy and use as separate pages or comb bind for the year  (our logic workbooks)
• cut three sides to several sheet protectors and have the child use white board markers on the sheet protector slipped over the page.  I check the work and then the sheet protectors are erased and moved to the next page the next day (Building Thinking Skills) 

Lisa

[kbutton]

You can buy just the student pages from RSO to go with the hardcopy book if it's more cost- and time effective for you than printing. I think Pandia has their big sales in March, but I am not sure I am remembering that correctly.

 

Sometimes, you can just have the student talk through the lab and not bother copying the lab sheet. It depends on the assignment.

 

We use RSO, and I copy as I go along. I don't do it all at once. I have only one other curriculum that requires copying, so it's not a big budget item for me. If that changes in the future, I will buy a different printer that is less expensive.

[Walking-Iris]

For RSO I just photocopy the student pages. I don't make extra copies of the lesson for the science notebook. I just simply read that aloud. The only things I make copies of are the lab sheets.  I haven't found that to be a problem. I did it at the beginning of the year all at once. For me that's more cost effective because I know I'm going to do it so I have the ink and paper ready and I don't have to worry about remembering to do it throughout the year. We can just pick up and go without waiting for me to have everything we need. I will be using RSO with all of my kiddos, and I don't anticipate ever having to buy anything from Pandia Press again. There are places in the Biology RSO text where the student writes in the lesson. To preserve this for my other children, I either have my ds do it aloud or write on a sticky note we place in the text.

 

For History Pockets---that's a teacher book, the kids don't write in it. There's info that the teacher would need on the backs of some of the pages. Again I haven't found the copying out to be too terrible. I don't make copies of the read aloud lesson in the Pocket book...just read it aloud. 

 

Nothing other than some maps would need to be copied from History Odyssey.

 

I also like the prices at bestvaluecopy for printing ebooks. Or if you use a tablet of some kind you could just read teh lesson from the screen and would only need to print the student lab sheets. 

 

No way would I buy Pandia Press levels over and over again for each child. :)

[SereneHome]

I might have to look into getting a small copy machine.

 

Thanks again for the responses

[chelsmm]

Your library might have a copier. Our library charges ten cents a copy, I think. For a while I was copying the pages there when we went each week. I use RSO too. I only copy the workbook type pages. That way both kids can use it.

 

I also use Mr Q, and we just print the pages we need from the computer. We don't do all of them, so it's only one or two a week per child.

[tomandlorih]

Your library might have a copier. Our library charges ten cents a copy, I think. For a while I was copying the pages there when we went each week. I use RSO too. I only copy the workbook type pages. That way both kids can use it.

 

I also use Mr Q, and we just print the pages we need from the computer. We don't do all of them, so it's only one or two a week per child.

 

Our library allows you to print 10 pages per day, per library card for free. Printing though.. not copies.  I have a library card for each family member (so 5 total) and I go to the library once or twice a week.  E-books are already in .pdf, or I scan other pages I need into a .pdf and put them on a zip drive.  It is a little bit of a pain to log in, print 10 pages, log out then log in with the next card, etc.  But I'm cheap so I put up with it.. lol  It's worth an ask to your librarian. 

[Staceyshoe]

For RSO, you can purchase the Student Pages separately instead buying a whole book again.  It's the same as the student workbook but only has the pages that the student would write on or cut up.  I don't think the Student Pages are bound.
http://www.rainbowresource.com/prodlist.php?subject=11&category=2724

[SereneHome]

It will probably take me a bit to figure out what is more cost and time efficient when it comes to this.

 

I've always liked getting a hard copy for books, but that's probably just me being old-school.  I think I'll be looking into ebooks more from now on

[Χά�ων]

I make copies. There is an ap called Cam scanner that I use to make PDF's with my phone. 

 

 

If you are looking at Evan Moor check out Teacher's File Box. You can just print what you need and it is cheaper if you are planing to use several of their books.

[lifesadream83]

My daughter enjoys workbooks so I let her write in them and usually just buy a second set of activity pages or an additional workbook for my little one and store it.

[SereneHome]

I'll have to ask our library about printing.  Again, just one of these things that would never occur to me.

 

Thank you, ladies

[Piper]

Do check the copyright notices inside the front cover of your book.  I use RSO and SOTW1 AG, and both tell me that I can photocopy the pages for all the children in my family.  (I believe the same goes for the WWE books, if you get the ones with the student pages included.)  So there's no way I'm buying either of those over again.  And as a PP pointed out, the History Pockets have to be photocopied to even be usable, since they're printed double-sided.

 

I do only have the two children, and they are doing history and science together.  What I do is every Sunday I spend about an hour going through the coming week's lessons, pulling out the pages that will be used, and making one copy of each - that way one child gets the original, and one gets the copy to put in their subject binder.  (I don't want to resell consumable materials like these, so as long as both the kids have a copy, I'm happy for them to use the original as well.)  Doing only a week at a time keeps it manageable for me.  We get our paper free at Staples when they have the coupons, and we use an inkjet printer/copier.  My dh keeps muttering about getting a laser printer to save on cartridge costs, but we haven't done that yet.  I do get the remanufactured ink cartridges, which are a bit cheaper and work fine.  Check out sites like http://www.monoprice.com/ for good deals on those.  

[My3girls]

If its cheap like ETC or Spellwell, I let them write in them. I have an all in one printer so I make copies of the not so cheap things like AG. MM I bought as PDFs. I try to buy books more than workbooks, though.

[RootAnn]

I almost *have* to have a hard copy of a book or I won't use it. I'm just not an e-person.

 

SOTW activity pages are copied each year (or I buy the student pages from Peace Hill Press, depending on # of kids & ease of copying). I have two Literature Pockets & I copy pages as needed out of them. 

 

I asked my dd#1 not to work in her WWS1 book or her Art of Argument book -- but she wrote/drew in both, so I'll be buying new ones for the next child(ren). :thumbdown:  Maybe I'll take it out of her savings.  :sneaky2:

 

I bought a 3-in-1 (printer, copier, scanner) a few years ago and although the ink is $$, I use the copying feature a LOT. The only place in my little town other than the library where you can go to make copies went out of business several years ago. It is $.15/copy at the library, so I make most of mine at home or wait until I hit The Big City (Fed Ex/Kinkos).

[koalaborg]

I wanted a hard copy of SOTW AG so I sliced open, hole punched and put in a 3 ring binder. I copy mapwork and coloring pages each week. We also use Evan Moor Spelling, and I have 3-ring bound those as well. I could have bought the ebooks from Evan Moor but I like to get workbooks at Barnes and Noble during their educator week each spring for a nice discount.

 

For RSO and ES I purchased the ebook only and print as needed. Smalle, cheaper workbooks I use as consumables.